About a month ago I featured a short film by new Irish animation outfit Giant Creative, well since then, they’ve rolled out a whole slate of shorts. They’re a mix of films, tests and actual production work, and they’re all worth checking out.
Today though, I’m posting my favourites.
Caution, the one below contains nudity!
Giant Creative Starts Setting Out the Goods Read More »
As spotted on Irish state broadcaster, RTE’s weekly news quiz today:
Sometimes the Mainstream Media Pays Attention to The Animation World Read More »
Found by way of Toon-in (lots of nice animation videos on that site by the way), The Last Train is the first (?) product of The Animation Hub, a joint-venture between the Irish School of Animation and Trinity College Diblin’s Graphics, Vision and Visualisation Group (GV2) and the recently established animation studio Giant Creative.
Not only does it look fantastic, the music gives it a really scary undertone that is still quite rare in animation. There’s a lot packed into just over a minute, but suffice to say, it’s all very entertaining.
The Animation Hub’s “The Last Train” Read More »
Or do they? Decide for yourself:
For comparison, here’s a nicer version (sadly not used):
Here’s a link because the embedding isn’t working. 🙁
And yes, this is the film that resulted from Don Bluth’s studio in Ireland.
Thank God They Don’t Make Trailers Like This Anymore Read More »
It’s been almost a week of videos here on the blog so in the fashion of in for a penny, in for a pound, here’s some Irish animation.
The stories of Cú Chulainn is known by everyone in Ireland. A fierce warrior, he was rightfully feared and respected in equal doses. There are many tales surrounding this mythical man including this one, where Cú Chulainn is tricked into slaying his only son.
Animated by Damien Byrne, it’s Celtic animation in an altogether darker shade than The Secret of Kells. Don’t forget to check out the blog for the obligatory behind the scenes story on how it all came together.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVQE0UXvjgY
An Animated Irish Celtic History Lesson Read More »
Not animation-related per se, but relevant to movie-going nonethless. While over beyond, we went to see the last installment of the Harry Potter series. While the film was awesome, the presentation was not. The reason? It’s all about the goggles.
Below are the Dolby goggles we were handed for the presentation.
Via: Ubergizmo
Below is the warning printed on the side. Yes, you’re 3D surcharge doesn’t seem to cover the goggles and there are shoplifter-like security gates at the cinema to ensure that you don’t “accidentally” take them home with you.
Via: Video Technology
My real beef though, is how they sat on my face (not very well and after half an hour, my ears were killing me) and the fact that they are not nearly as large as the ones offered by RealD, which at least have lenses large enough to cover most prescription glasses.
So all in all, it was by far my worst 3D experience to date. It just proves how poorly managed the gimmick is but as bad as it is here in the US, there are those that have it much worse.
American 3D Audiences Have It Lucky Read More »
Just a quick update from Ireland.
I have found plenty to write about in regards to animation. It’s actually quite interesting to see the differences between how animation is perceived on this side of the pond,
Anyhoo, the picture above was snapped in the Castlecourt Shopping Centre in Belfast, where it appears that the Looney Tunes are still giving kids a bit of excitement.
Update from Ireland: The Looney Tunes are Alive and Well! Read More »
Hot off the twitter wires is the announcement of Pegbar’s latest event at the Science Gallery in Dublin. A series of talks, screenings and general networking for animation folks will be held in the capital on April 15th (next Friday). By all accounts, it is sure to be a grand evening with a cross-section of the industry either being in the show or in attendance so hone those networking skills before leaving the house!
The evening kicks off at 5:45 and tickets can be bought in advance for €6.
Pegbar’s Upcoming Animation Event in Dublin Read More »
It’s that time of the year again, when everyone pretends to be Irish and the real Irish milk it from the American tourists for all it’s worth. St. Patrick’s Day is on Thursday so until then, this post is part of a series on Ireland and Irish-related animation. You can browse the full series here.
Today’s the day and while I would have liked to have written this yesterday, I could not, so I am writing it this morning before the day begins (that sounded poetic…). It is hard to believe that two years after it was released in Ireland, we are still talking about this film, it is a testament to how much it has resonated with audiences around the world. So much so that I wrote a post about it a while back.
Anyways, what better way to celebrate Ireland and Irishness than a nice Irish film eh? And if you’ve already watched it, watch it again, you might discover something you may have missed the last time around.
PS:
Irish Week: Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day Responsibly, Watch The Secret of Kells Read More »
It’s that time of the year again, when everyone pretends to be Irish and the real Irish milk it from the American tourists for all it’s worth. St. Patrick’s Day is on Thursday so until then, this post is part of a series on Ireland and Irish-related animation. You can browse the full series here.
Via: Brown Blog Films
What you see above is the real deal, sent to both Tomm Moore (Cartoon Saloon, The Secret of Kells) and Nicky Phelan (Brown Bag Films, Granny O’Grim). By the sounds of the respective blog posts, it was nothing short of a complete shock for both invitees.
Now St. Patrick’s Day is a huge deal for the Irish government because unlike any other country, March 17th is for the Irish and the Irish alone (everyone’s Irish for a day, etc, etc). As a result, the government and the country have long realised that they have been given this extraordinary opportunity: a whole day to market Ireland to the entire world without interference from other (non-catastrophic) events. In fact, the combination of St Patrick’s Day and the opening of NCAA March Madness is seen by some (including my boss) as a perfect storm of events.
You’d think that for the Irish Government and the embassies and so forth that this would be a great day of relaxation and celebration. Not so, I was talking to a guy from the Irish Embassy in Washington DC last year and he told me in no uncertain terms that St. Patrick’s Day is by far the busiest day of the year, when everyone is frantically organising things, meeting people doing interviews, etc. So it would seem that the only civil servants getting a rest are the ones at home!
In line with the various ‘promoting’ activities that the Irish government does is the now-traditional White House meeting, where the President of the United States (POTUS) presents the Taoiseach (prime minister) with a bowl of shamrocks (interesting note: it was George W. Bush who began this custom, before, it was just a plain ol’ handshake).
Afterwards there is the reception and dinner for the festivities where I’m sure there are many fine congressmen and senators who attend to whoop up their Irish heritage. Sadly many Irish-Americans are ignorant to the simple fact that corned beef and cabbage just isn’t an Irish dish. For some, their entire world falls apart when I inform them of this.
As the entire day is one to promote Ireland and Irish culture, it is delightful to see that two animators are included. The government could easily have chosen a few poets, singers, artists and so forth to attend (and probably have in the past) but they didn’t. Surely both invitations are a sign that the Irish government has recognised the ability of animation to transcend borders and cultures and to promote Ireland in a positive light to the world. Both animator’s Academy Award nominations last year have no doubt helped lead to tomorrows event.
Hopefully this is not the last time we see Irish animators being invited to the White House although I think we’re off to a great start.
Irish Week: At Least The Irish Government Recognises The Cultural Value of Animation Read More »
Via: Celluloid Junkie